Making The Heart of The Mountain
by sarenelsoria
Summary: The dragon never came, Bilbo became a potter and is asked to make a copy of the Arkenstone out of clay. He never expected that he would find his One in Erebor, but he had never intended to stay longer than the period it would take for him to make the Arkenstone and Thorin cannot leave Erebor. He is drawn into a dwarven courtship which isn't what he expects. AU part dwarf Bilbo
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Bilbo sat at the wheels kicking it with his foot, as a ball of clay spun in between his fingers. He liked making things and making them as realistic as possible, already he'd become well known throughout all of Middle Earth for his skills as a potter. He smiled as he worked, fashioning the clay underneath his hands, until he created a box of what would look like mined amethyst to the casual observer, inside a ring would be put and so he wanted to be particularly careful with this order. He smiled to himself as he finished making the piece and wrote down the particulars on a piece of parchment, of all his clients dwarves were the most demanding, though why they wanted him to create fake rocks was beyond him. He stretched and wiped off his hands on his apron, before standing. Going over to the sink he washed his hands and then filled a mug full of water. Mug in hand he got out his pipe and sat on the stoop outside the small shed he had built in back of his garden. He sighed puffing on his pipe, enjoying the early spring air, when the bell that was hooked to his house rang and he sighed, putting out his pipe and going to the door.

He stared in bewilderment at the dwarf he found on his doorstep; he'd never seen so much pointlessly expensive clothes in his lifetime. The dwarf was dressed in an ermine cape, with a ruby clasp. He stared at Bilbo and Bilbo returned the stare in shocked disbelief. "Who are you and why have you come?" Bilbo demanded.

"How dare you address me in such a manner?"

"It's you that's come to my house Mister Dwarf, I dare as I please, if you wish to order something you could send a servant."

"I need to judge the quality of your work for myself."

"My work speaks for itself, but very well, follow me." Bilbo said and the dwarf nodded, Bilbo took him through the side entrance to the studio and several kilns. "The finished work is stored in that shed, before I give it to the merchants to give to my clients." Bilbo said and the dwarf nodded, Bilbo took out the key, pausing before opening the door. "If you break anything, you'll pay twice what I charged those I made these pieces for, because I'll have to make it twice over."

"I will not break anything." The dwarf said and Bilbo nodded. He opened the door and smiled at the gasps of the guards and the dwarf who was clearly their leader.

"You have made treasures the likes of which..." The dwarf stared at the rocks and Bilbo shrugged.

"I like to make natural things, I also make tiny dioramas of hobbit homes and sculpt certain parts of the Shire. I once went to Rivendell and I made several pieces there, afterwards I got the opportunity to go to the Blue Mountains with a trading caravan. Some of the art I saw there interested me and I decided to try to make similar things out of clay. Through a lot of trial and error I figured out what glazes to use and how to fashion my works so they might appear lifelike."

"I am Dain Son of Nain." Dain said and Bilbo smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, I suppose in the dwarven tradition I would introduce myself as sister son to Isengrim III Thain of the Shire. So forgive me if I don't bow to you, first off you're a lord, not a king, secondly Hobbits don't stand on such hogwash formalities. If we did, we'd have to decide the degree to which we would need to bow and scrape to our own relatives, everyone is related to everyone in the Shire, some closer than others, some more distantly. I'm closer than most to the old line, but I have no interest in sitting on the council listening to boring talk about boring things that must be done on a very important timeline. The problem is that everyone believes that their timeline and what they want to get done is more important than anyone else's desires and so we wind up talking over the price of wheat in Buckland or all matter of interesting and important topics such as those."

"You reject your duty to your line?"

"No, I sit at council once a week, its part of being a respectable and responsible hobbit and I've been doing it since I was five years old. People might actually start to listen to me, once I reach eighty, everyone shouts over one another, except for the old timers. Mostly I just get drunk with the cousins I'm of age with and don't find too objectionable. At any rate if you had any respect for nobility my family and our line would cure you of that right quick." Bilbo said and laughed at the look on the dwarf's face. "You came to my house for a purpose yes?"

"Indeed I did, I'm seeking someone to make a believable copy of the Arkenstone."

"I've heard of the Arkenstone, but I've also heard that it never leaves the throne room. I might also enquire after your purpose in wishing to create such a copy. I have only your word that you are who you say you are and you could easily buy some mercenaries to pose as royal guards if you have enough money to dress the way you do. Forgive my bluntness but how am I to know that you are who you say you are and that indeed your motives are pure?"

"You will have to trust me and travel with me, if you accept the commission. I could just as easily take you by force."

"Aye that you could and you would be at war with Gondor, the Shire and the Rangers no doubt." Bilbo said and grinned. "Say what you will of my line, but we don't take kindly to having members of our line being kidnapped, terrible nasty business makes you late for dinner. At any rate you can't force a master craftsman to do the caliber of work that you are asking for, such attention to craft needs to be freely given, or not given at all."

"Indeed you speak the truth and you know much about our culture for an outsider."

"I may not be dwarrow, but who said anything about not being related to them?" Bilbo said and grinned. "My Great Grandfather was a dwarf on my Father's side, while my Great Great Great Grandmother was a dwarf on my mothers. One was a Firebeard and the other a Broadbeam, though we don't grow beards on our faces, we grow our beards on our feet." Bilbo said and grinned. "I think you'll find that I don't owe you any allegiance Sir Dwarf, now if you are simply going to threaten me and try to coerce me into making the King's Jewel for you, I will wish you a good morning." Bilbo said and Dain looked shocked at Bilbo, as did the guards and Bilbo smiled.

"You are part dwarven?" Dain demanded and Bilbo nodded.

"I have the copper hair of my Great Great Great Grandmother and my eyes are the same of my Great Grandfather. Both sides of my family laughed at my birth and my Grandfather said that I'd be trouble, considering the bother he'd had raising my mother." Bilbo laughed, his copper eyes shining brightly as he tossed back his hair in mirth.

"You don't have a beard, but you have a lot of hair on your feet and your hair is long?"

"I decided that I liked the dwarven style of keeping it long and using beads to tame it, its that or I crop it entirely too short for anyone other than a lad of six." Bilbo said and grinned. "I take out my beads when I work in the studio though of course." He smiled at the dwarves. "As for the beard, I found it to be too much trouble to keep once I came back from the Blue Mountains. You wouldn't believe the amount of clay that got trapped in their, its bad enough getting it out of my hair."

"You deliberately disfigure yourself?" One of the guards demanded and Bilbo smiled.

"I'm not a dwarf, I don't consider it to be disfiguration, I'd be looked at far strangely if I tried to walk around with a beard and hair full of clay. Its hard enough to get the stuff out of my hair, beard hair hurts when its scrubbed and you need to scrub it to get the clay out."

"But it must hurt far more to shave!" Someone said and Bilbo frowned.

"It hurts far more to keep it and clean it, I shave every two weeks, once the stubble gets hard to manage." Bilbo said. "Not that I didn't curse a blue streak at first, when my Mother taught me how to shave, but otherwise it would be down to my knees by now." Bilbo said and the dwarves appeared shocked. "I didn't shave in respect for the traditions of my traveling companions and by the time I got to the Blue Mountains it covered my face, by the time I got back to the Shire half a year later, it was down to my chest. I shaved the next day and didn't miss the loss of it, I understand that its about honor and tradition as well as honoring your ancestors, I respect that, but don't expect me to follow traditions that aren't my own."

"Who were your Grandparents?"

"My Great Grandfather was a Merchant my Great Great Great Grandmother ran away from the Blue Mountains when she was seventy eight and promised to a man twice her age who she didn't love. I tracked down her Great Nephew in the Blue Mountains and determined that he was not worth approaching about our mutual ancestry. All my other kin on that side were likewise very... shall we put it diplomatically and say Lordly specimens and I determined there and then not to mention our family tree to such people. I am proud of my birthright and more proud of the respectability I have earned in my forty years."

"You are forty?"

"Yes, though lifespan differ, I'm more like eighty than forty as far as my maturity is considered." Bilbo said and shrugged.

"Your work has been admired for over ten years, to get to be so good at such a young age..." Dain said and Bilbo shook his head.

"I'm not an untried youth, my mother and father were each other's One, my Father became ill in the winter of 2914, it was a hard winter and even though we were and are well to do, we ran out of the medicine we needed to care for him. Mother and I decided to go to Bywater for Father's medicine. On the way wolves, Mother tried to fight them off, attacked us but she determined that fighting wasn't for me from an early age and the rest of her family respected that decision. I had therefore nothing to arm myself with, but my slingshot. Mother told me to get into a tree that she would be right behind me and unthinkingly I followed her instructions, believing she was telling the truth. She was ripped apart by the wolves as I watched, helpless to do anything but throw stones and listen to her screams, she told me until her last breath to stay in the tree and I like a coward obeyed. I watched her die and by the time the Bounders had rescued me, Father had joined her, where they went I do not know, but that day I decided to learn how to fight. I am not an untried youth, though I've never seen more than a skirmish, don't treat me as such."

"You were orphaned at twenty four?"

"Yes I was, that's why I don't appreciate people judging me for how many years I lived, rather than my accomplishments. I've worked hard for the past ten years, apprenticing myself to my Uncles and to my cousin who's an accomplished potter though they work mainly with vessel forms. After I had learned all I could from them, I went to Rivendell for six months and to the Blue Mountains. What was most amusing to me was the more dwarven I looked in the Blue Mountains, the more people would greet me with Khudzul or ask questions of me, which I had no way of replying to. Other than to say that I was in fact a hobbit of dwarven decent and please could they address their questions in common."

"So people talked to you in Khudzul, looking at you I can't believe you passed for dwarven." Dain said and Bilbo smiled.

"Can't you, I dressed in dwarven fashion while I was there, even wearing leather shoes, as the stone was too cold for bare feet alone." Bilbo said and smiled. "I assure you with a hood covering my ears I make a fairly convincing dwarf for those that don't know any better. It was amusing to me to go to the markets and listen to everyone bartering in Khudzul, it sounded like gibberish until I understood the pattern through how much gold was exchanged. I know greetings and numbers, it's a interesting language to attempt to speak."

"You learned some of the forbidden tongue?"

"That I did and its not as though you never speak it, for a forbidden tongue its fairly easy to learn if you have the knack for languages. You can pretty much figure out the meaning of words after a while of speaking them. At any rate we aren't discussing my abysmal knowledge of Khudzul, we are discussing the commission you ask of me." Bilbo stated. "First off I'll have to talk to the other royals to ensure this is what they want as well."

"The younger royals all wish for it and as for Thrain he wishes for nothing but more gold, the Arkenstone does nothing to help his desires." Dain said and Bilbo nodded.

"I had heard rumors of such, but if we are caught by the king..."

"Then we are caught, you will be paid handsomely for your part in this, but know that you may well risk your life in this pursuit."

"Can't you dispose him?"

"Most on the council would prefer a biddable mad king, to a king that is sane and does what he desires rather than what the council does."

"I see, I will go to Erebor at least but I make no promises beyond that."

"As is only fair, the journey itself, we will pay you two thousand gold for, another two thousand to study the Arkenstone and a further two thousand upon delivery of the copy."

"That is a most fair offer, right now I'm only agreeing to go to Erebor, the rest will perhaps come in time." Bilbo said and the others nodded. "However I will not go without my friends, I have only your word that you are who you say you are. It should take them three weeks at most to arrive."

"Three week?" Dain demanded.

"Either I go with them, or I do not go at all." Bilbo said and Dain nodded.

"It is clear I have no choice, send your letter to your friends."

"Good we have an accord." Bilbo said and smiled. "As we are doing business you are welcome to stay in my home while we wait for my friends."

"Your hospitality is welcome."

"I expect to give and receive guest right, you can lock your weapons in the weapons cupboard just inside my house for the duration of your stay, no one will harm you in the Shire." Bilbo said and again Dain frowned, before he nodded. Bilbo showed them to the weapon cupboard, before going to his study and writing a letter to his friends in the Blue Mountains. They would come, because Bilbo would come if they asked it of him, he would do anything they asked of him and he knew that the family Ur and Ri would do the same for him. He had become friends with Bombur first the fat dwarf loved cooking as much as hobbits did and when Bilbo had time off his apprenticeship he'd either spend it in the scribe hall or the kitchens. He loved cooking and learning dwarven cooking had been a revelation, he in return had taught Bombur how to cook hobbit fair. Bombur had introduced him to his family and Bilbo had gotten on with them at once, even Bifur was funny and great company. As for Ori he'd met the apprentice scribe in the scribe hall and they had talked about Aule and Yavannah's love discovering that what each had been told was similar but different. They continued to discuss many things, from politics, to history to theology and eventually Ori had invited him over to his house for supper and Bilbo had accepted. Ori's brothers were very different from one another, Dori was a traditionalist and very concerned with appearances and tradition, Nori was the opposite a handsome young rogue who would do anything and everything if he thought he could get away with it. Bilbo had liked them both from the first time they met each other.

He wrote his letters to both families before sending them with two separate ravens that had followed him back from the Blue Mountains and insisted that they should be at his service. He had reluctantly agreed and saw to their needs when they weren't delivering letters for him. He smiled as they flew off, as Dain stared at the birds in no small amount of shock.

"You have ravens?"

"As is my birthright." Bilbo said.

"We are in service to this fledgling, not you our reasons are ours." One of the ravens said and glared at Dain. "We serve, but that service is not blind, takes your questions elsewhere greedy one." The other raven laughed at that.

"He'd swallow all the seed given half a chance, be careful in dealing with him."

"He's family though and better a seed swallower, than a hoarder of shiny things."

"You are wiser than most, except for the old raven keeper. Never understood why they accept some younglings but not others."

"I thank you for that." Bilbo said and smiled. "Fly true."

"You are of the royal line?" Dain demanded and Bilbo laughed.

"A distant relation at best, I can understand the ravens though, I like the ravens." Bilbo said. "I doubt that I will like anyone else of my mother's line, but the ravens are nice. Still family is family."

"You aren't Balris' Great Great Great Grandson are you?"

"I am." Bilbo said. "I doubt I could hide it from you much longer, considering the ravens, so there's no point in denying it." Bilbo said and shrugged.

"You are my cousin?" Dain demanded and Bilbo nodded.

"That I am and you have many other cousins in the Shire, I'm just the most dwarven of them." Bilbo said with a grin. "Balris had three children and they had ten children, who in turn had forty seven children, who in turn had eighty one and I have twenty little cousins, we are given to big families. It is part of the mother's blessing to us, no hobbit suffers much in the birthing bed."

"How many are still alive?"

"Fifty three, though my cousin is going to have another baby soon." Bilbo said. "None have the same interest in dwarven traditions and most are content to stay in the Shire, you are welcome to come drinking with me tonight cousin."

"Drinking?"

"Of course its my cousin Alidin Proudfoot's birthday, I can bring as many guests as I like and its bound to be a lively affair, knowing Alidin, he's turning thirty three and reaching manhood, so it will be doubly boisterous." Bilbo said with a grin.

"If you do not find our presence objectionable, we would be glad to come."

"I must insist that you leave your weapons here however."

"Alright." Dain said and started taking off his weapons as the guard did the same; Bilbo directed them to the closet, before washing his hands and face in the sink and taking off his apron. He then set to making the cake as the dwarves watched amazed. He decided that three eleven-layer cakes should be enough and that chocolate, strawberry and vanilla would do. He made them over the next six hours, concentrating on baking them just right. He grinned, as there was a knock at the door and dusted off his waistcoat before answering it.

"Bilbo! Well met cousin, have you made the cakes?"

"I just finished them, not my finest work but I had a lot of orders to fulfill and I wanted them to be fresh." Bilbo said and took his three cousins into the kitchens.

"These are very fine indeed, oh you have dwarven friends visiting?"

"Aye that I do, this is Dain of Durin's line and his guards..." Bilbo frowned. "How impolite of me, I forgot to ask your names."

"I'm Dwalin, of the Line of Durin and this is Orin a recognized bastard and Lorin his twin." Dwalin said and both bowed.

"Nice to meet you all, can we go now Bilbo, I don't want to miss the cask opening."

"Aldergrim, you never did have any patients, but yes we can go." Bilbo said and laughed. "Let me just dunk my head under the sink and we will be off." Bilbo said and put his head under the faucet, running the flour out of his hair, before taking out his beads and braiding back his hair.

"Why you insist on doing that is beyond me." Aldergrim said. "Now we are going to be late."

"No we won't be, he said six o clock and its only half five now." Bilbo said and smiled at his cousin, together they walked to the party tree and Bilbo let his cousins set down the cakes.

"These look wonderful Bilbo."

"How does it feel to be a man cousin?" Bilbo asked and Alidin laughed.

"I'm hardly a man cousin and you know it." He said and Bilbo laughed as well.

"An adult then." Bilbo said and Alidin grinned.

"If the rest of my life will be like today, very fine indeed." Aildin said and Bilbo laughed.

"So have you decided on what to apprentice yourself to?"

"I'm going to take up carpentry though I doubt I'll be half as good at it, as you are at sculpting."

"I thank you cousin." Bilbo said and grinned. "May you have joy of your chosen craft, though I will be sad to not have your help wedging anymore."

"As I will be glad not to wedge." Alidin said and Bilbo laughed.

"Indeed, I believe you have made the correct choice, I'll be gone from the Shire for at least eight months, possibly longer."

"Indeed, I will miss you cousin, but I'm not surprised. In fact I got you a present I thought you might enjoy, I found several books that belonged to Balris at the hall and I thought that if any of us would need to know Khudzul it would be you. Though the cover is different than what's inside.

"Thank you cousin." Bilbo said and grinned. "A most generous and appropriate gift."

"Indeed I thought so." Alidin said and smiled. "It goes without saying how much I appreciated your gift on your birthday."

"And how displeased your mother was with me the next day, now I can take you to The Green Dragon, without causing the wrath of dear Iris." Bilbo said and Alidin laughed.

"I would be delighted." Alidin said and filled up a flagon. "Shall we drink to the last of our decade becoming a adult?"

"Indeed we shall cousin! Lets all drink together! Isengrin Orifrin come here!" His other cousin said and Bilbo laughed, he loved his cousins that he was of age with, even though none were like him, they were very amusing to be around.

"No fair I wanna go too."

"You are too little Drogo and it's a Took celebration." Someone said.

"Strange ones the Tooks." Bilbo agreed and everyone laughed, he drank several pints with his cousins as the dwarrows stared at the festivities. As kegs of ail were opened all around them.

"Music!" Alidin cried out and instruments were produced all around them, Alidin laughed and sat at the table banging his mug in time as Bilbo laughed as well.

"So much ale on an empty belly cousin?" Bilbo asked matching Alidin mug for mug. "You wouldn't wish to miss the festivities like Dory Proudfoot and his cousins." Bilbo said and Alidin laughed.

"Indeed not Bilbo we should eat as well." Alidin said and plates were passed to Alidin and his cousins as everyone knew everyone in the Shire and their tastes, Bilbo was pleased to find a roast and mashed potatoes put in front of them, as well as the plate piled high with fried chicken baby honey carrot, cheesy pasta and pesto broccoli.

"You have strange tastes cousin." Alidin teased.

"And you could eat this entire pig yourself." Bilbo teased back and Alidin laughed before returning to his plate full of meet and stabbing it with his knife. Bilbo laughed as well throwing an arm around his cousin, as the oldest of his generation he'd always preferred the younger ones to his elders. Three had been born in his year, but only the Tooks would play with him, as they were the only ones that enjoyed the same rough games that Bilbo did as a child. That had lead to him making his own adventures up in the woods more often than not, when his mother wasn't visiting her kin. He had taken Aliden under his wing from the moment he'd met the child, they grew closer than ever after his parents had died and Aliden and Drogo were the closest things to little brothers Bilbo would ever have the pleasure of having.

"Aye that I could cousin." Alidin said and Bilbo laughed tearing into his chicken and gulping down his ale. He did wish it wasn't a tradition to have those who were declared chosen siblings to drink as much as the one who was becoming an adult.

"Perhaps we should pace ourselves a bit."

"Where's the fun in that?" Aldergrim asked.

"Plenty fun in not getting so sick that you pass out." Bilbo said and Alidin frowned.

"Are we close?"

"Fairly, I'd scale back the drinking, unless you wish to be carted home in a...in a...carty thingy." Bilbo said and all his cousins laughed.

"If Bilbo has lost his words, its a sign that you are too full of ale cousins." Bellanora Took said and everyone laughed.

"Yes I..." Bilbo frowned again and words suddenly popped into his head. "Imrigî binakhfâd cousins."

"You always speak Khudzul when your drunk Cousin Bilbo." Bellanora said and laughed. "And you never tell us what you mean."

"Sasakhabîn abnâmul cousin my little cousin a hobbit grown."

"Eat some more meat Bilbo and drink some water." Someone else suggested and Bilbo laughed doing both as the dwarves stared at Bilbo in shock. "Was a good thing you said."

"I think, not sure, said a lot in...drinking places." Bilbo said and grinned.

"It was good, but not something someone would say to their cousin." Dain said and Bilbo raised an eyebrow.

"He nice looks." Bilbo frowned and shrugged. "I no speak." He then continued to eat, as the ale slowly left his system, it hit his cousins slightly more slowly, Bilbo couldn't hold his drink as well as they could for some reason. So by the time he was able to think slightly clearer headed they were swaying in their chairs.

"We should always drink with cousin Bilbo." Aldergrim said. "You are the best Bilbo, the best big cousin ever."

"Thank you Aldergrim." Bilbo said and laughed as Aldergrim drunkenly put an arm around him, Bilbo set his arm around Aldergrim as well and laughingly leaned forward and backward.

"Stop that, the world is spinning." Alidin protested and Bilbo laughed again, before setting his cousins to rights.

"If you're going to be sick don't do it at table." Bilbo said and his cousin nodded, Bilbo continued to eat his fill, and his cousins ate as well when they looked a little less green. Bilbo smiled as Alidin pushed away his plate and drunkenly got to his feet.

"Dance with me cousins, like Uncle Algir taught us."

"A high step?" Bilbo asked and Alidin nodded and Bilbo grinned, he liked high step dwarven dances and he had been shocked to discover that Uncle Algir must have gone to a dwarven settlement in his youth. He laughed as the music played and took both his cousin's hands as they did a traditional step dance. "Side!" Bilbo called out and his cousins laughed, before calling out their own switches. Several other Tooks joined in the dancing. "Let me teach you one." Bilbo said and did a simple warrior dance that he had learned while he was away, his cousins laughed as he taught them the steps and Bilbo grinned at them. They did five more dances in the dwarven style. "I think the rest of the Shire might like to dance cousin."

"Indeed you are right cousin, table dances!" Alidin cried out and Bilbo laughed and grabbed his cousin's hands running for the nearest table, which he danced upon with his cousin clapping along in time to the music. Alidin then stared at Arianna Bolger and Bilbo smiled.

"She's a fine lass, a year older than you, I made her coming of age gift for her mother." Bilbo said and smiled. "Come cousin." He added and grinned taking Alidin by the hand and leading him over to Arianna, Arianna looked surprised to see Bilbo who smiled at her.

"Hello Miss Bolger, I would like to introduce my cousin Alidin."

"A pleasure." Arianna said and Bilbo grinned.

"Would you...Would you..."

"Once my cousin finds his tongue I believe he would be interested in securing a dance." Bilbo said and both his cousin and Arianna blushed.

"I would be delighted, that's a fine suit you are wearing."

"Thank you." Alidin said and Arianna took him by the hand as couples dancing started, Bilbo found his way back to the table and sat down watching his cousin with a smile. He hoped it worked out with them, he liked weddings and enjoyed his little cousins even more.

"So is this a typical hobbit gathering?"

"Pretty much." Bilbo said and grinned. "Plenty of food and dancing, though the little ones have the most fun gatherings. Its amusing to let a five year old decide what we're going to do for that day, or night." Bilbo said looking fondly at his baby cousins. He went over to his cousins that had three children and smiled at the parents. "I'll watch them for a bit, if you'd like to dance."

"Thank you Bilbo, they should go to sleep soon." His cousin Alderfrin said and took his partner Boris out onto the dance area.

"Now little ones how about a story?" Bilbo asked and soon had a lap full of sleeping children. He smiled fondly stroking their hair as they slept, the baby had the same hair he did and was a boisterous child. He found his eyes closing and he smiled leaning back against the bench and closing his eyes.

He woke to cheers and rubbed at his eyes as he saw his cousin cut the cakes finally. The children didn't stir worn out from food and dancing. He smiled as Alderfrin returned and chuckled.

"Your hair is escaping your braids again cousin and I do believe my children have drooled all over you."

"I was merely resting my eyes."

"Oh aye and snoring." His cousin said and laughed. "Should I help you to bed old man, along with my babes?"

"No but I could help you carry them."

"I would appreciate that, as would Boris, I'm leaving a bit early, but he wants to stay."

"I'm fine with that." Bilbo said and smiled at his cousin, he passed his cousin the oldest and slowly stood with the baby and the toddler in his arms. He had sobered as he had slept and walked with his cousin back to his house. He tucked the children into bed and turned to Alderfrin. "My mother used to use water to help make the braiding go easier, otherwise the hair tangles."

"Thank you cousin, she screams if I try to braid it when she's awake."

"Of course and bribes never hurt when I was small." Bilbo said and with a wink he left the house laughing before breaking into a run back to the party tree. He was in time to have a piece of cake and he laughed when he saw that his dwarven guests had all drunk too much. All three of them were snoring against a tree, goblets of ale beside them. Bilbo went over and shook one's shoulder. "Ibkin." He said and his cousin's only response was to snore. Bilbo laughed before he got his wagon and horse and brought it to the party tree. His cousins helped him load those that had too much to drink into the wagon and Bilbo and four others settled them into their beds and put chamber pots by them for the morning. Bilbo then returned to the gathering and danced and ate pie and cake, he also took several more loads of people who had gotten to far into their cups back home.

He drank some more after sobering and smiled at his cousin who was talking animatedly with Arianna, as their relatives watched, he'd most likely miss their courting. If he were lucky he'd be back in time for their wedding or failing that the birth of their first child. He wondered suddenly if he would always be alone himself, if there were anyone for him in Middle Earth. He frowned, before taking another slice of cake and another pint of ale and proceeded to drown his sorrows, his thoughts becoming increasingly maudlin with each tankard, until he passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Bilbo smiled as he heard a knock at the door, the last three weeks had passed quickly even with Bilbo having to pack up his studio and load it into his cart. He grinned when he saw Ori, Dori, Nori, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur at his door and opened it wide. "Well met, thank you for coming."

"Its not every day you meet your kin lad." Ori said and Bilbo laughed. "I'm glad you decided to introduce yourself to them."

"Dain is getting on well with my cousins he went over to Tooksburrouh this morning, I managed to finish my other commissions just in time. I was just about to make lunch, are you hungry?"

"Could do with a bite." Nori said and Bilbo grinned.

"Coats on the coat rack and I'll whip something up in no time." Bilbo said and went to the kitchen. He pulled out the roast from last night; he was going to make shipyards pie for dinner, but it could just as easily be for lunch. He started making the mashed potatoes and cooking the peas and carrots. "Lunch in thirty minutes." Bilbo called out and set the roast into the oven. He drained the vegetables, mashed the potatoes and added the gravy from the night before to the casserole, before pulling the meat out of the oven and slicing it. He added the meat in and put it back in the oven while he set the table. He got two casks of ale from his cellar and added them to the table before pulling out the roast, putting out the extra gravy in a gravy bowl he sat down himself and smiled. He fixed himself a plate before turning to his friends. "Help yourselves." He said, they needed no further encouragement, Bilbo laughed as they caught dinner rolls and small pieces of food in their mouths as he ate his own dinner. He had been shocked by how well mannered the dwarves he had been hosting were in comparison to his friends. He laughed along with them as they took it in turns to belch and see who could belch the loudest. Once they had finished, Dori and Bofur helped Bilbo clean up while Nori and Bofur took in their saddlebags.

"I'm going need to run to the market for dinner, Dain, Dwalin, Lorin and Orin should be back in time for dinner."

"I'll help you find supplies, we can cook together."

"Aren't you tired Bombur?"

"Not now I've got a full belly, we'll leave the others behind to rest, lets go to the market Bilbo."

"Sounds fine to me, possibly make some of those turkey turnovers even, the ones you showed me how to make in the Blue Mountains."

"That sounds like a very fine idea indeed and perhaps some apple, we can eat them on the road."

"Are you sure you want to leave tomorrow?"

"I'm sure that your cousin is eager to be off." Bombur said and Bilbo nodded, together they went to the market and Bilbo took out his coin purse.

"Thank you for coming with me and watching my back."

"I know you would do the same for us, though you aren't exactly skilled with that letter opener of yours or the axes, if we drill you every morning and every night, you should be alright if we get into a skirmish." Bombur said and Bilbo nodded, together they bought what they needed as well as traveling supplies. Bilbo bought a new traveling cloak so he could have a spare in case he needed one, mittens and a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun out of his eyes. He also bought yarn and thread to keep his fingers occupied on the journey. He smiled as they walked back to his house together. He cut the vegetables first before adding them to water and put in the turkey in the oven. He then turned to making pastry while Bombur watched the vegetables and took care of the turkey. Bilbo finished making the pastry and measured the apples putting them into small turnovers with brown sugar and cinnamon, he had discovered a fondness for the spice while staying in the Blue Mountains. What dwarven cooking lacked in vegetables it made up for in spicing, he'd not had properly spiced meat since he left the Blue Mountains. The spices were hard to come by and he always added a bit too much, or too little, messing up the spicing in some way or other.

"You even have coriander." Bombur said pleased and Bilbo nodded.

"I still can't spice it as well as you do." Bilbo said and Bombur laughed.

"I should hope not, its much like your ability to make good sauces and pastry, I can't seem to get the knack no matter how hard I try." Bombur said and Bilbo laughed as well. He set the apple turnovers into several muffin tins and started mashing the potatoes, he then took the vegetables off the stove and mixed half of it together, setting aside the other half for dinner that night. He then made bread dough, before Bombur pulled out the turkey and sliced it.

"Keep the meat juices to make the gravy." Bilbo said and Bombur nodded, he gave Bilbo the meat juices and half the meat, as Bilbo made the gravy pouring some into the bowl with the mixed veggies and tearing off bite sized chucks of meat. He then put the mixture into what was left of the pastry and stuck it into the muffin tins before putting it into the oven along with the apple turnovers and bread. Just as he had finished the Durins returned and his friends moved out of the two rooms Bilbo had given them and into the dining room.

"They have come then?" Dain asked and Bilbo nodded.

"My friends have come from the Blue Mountains, they will be ready to leave tomorrow."

"An extra day wouldn't be any hardship."

"We're traders, we're used to stopping in a place for a night, but no more than that." Bombur said and smiled. "Its glad we are of the extra dwarves and Bilbo, usually we carry his wares alone."

"Indeed, these are the merchants you mentioned?"

"Yes, I wanted to return to the Shire after my apprenticeship, when they are unavailable to make a trip, I hire others." Bilbo said and smiled. "Dinner is ready, it just needs to be pulled from the oven." Bilbo said and pulled the bread and the turnovers from the oven setting them on the stove. He sliced the bread and put it on the table along with butter, as Bombur added the turkey vegetables and mashed potatoes to the table. Bilbo smiled as he devoured his food, it was hard for him to eat three meals a day and he hadn't had time to snack on anything. He'd managed to buy large quantities of jerky at the market that day, but he knew that it wouldn't last all the way to Erebor, hopefully with stops along the way it would be enough. He finished eating and set out a quarter of the apple turnovers for desert taking three themselves and eating them, before going back to his bedroom to sleep.

The next day they set out and Bilbo was prepared for the journey to be tiring and have something go wrong at least once. He was pleased to find that it passed without incident, they had apparently picked a good time to travel, as they didn't run into any orcs or goblins along the way. He stood before Erebor four weeks after setting out, tired but glad to be able to rest in a real bed.

"Lets go introduce ourselves to cousin Thrain and he will settle us in quarters worthy of our station and those of your friends." Dain said and Bilbo frowned, he didn't like the big deal that Dain was making of this. Barlis had been a daughter and more over a daughter who's sons stood no chance of inheriting, that was why Farlin had attempted to marry her off for political position, something that Thror had insisted on as a young king. Rather than marry the dwarf she was promised to, she had run off in the middle of the night.

"You had better get any thoughts of me being the proper noble dwarf out of your head, first off I'm not a dwarf and secondly I'd be terrible at attempting to be a noble one." Bilbo stated. "I am quite content with being a respectable hobbit, thank you very much."

"I never thought such cousin, you weren't raised to be so and I wouldn't expect such of you. I am very fond of you and my cousins but we have no right to that side of our family." Dain said and Bilbo nodded.

"Good I am glad we are in agreement about that." Bilbo said and smiled at Dain who returned the smile. Bilbo walked with him to the throne room and Bilbo stopped dead in his tracks, staring at one of the dwarves that sat at the high dais. He was just past being a youth and was staring back at Bilbo in no little shock. Bilbo smiled suddenly and stepped forward to before the dais, as Bofur did the same. Two young men stared in confusion between their family members and the newcomers. It was Bilbo who found the words first and took off his hood. "I am Bilbo son of Belladonna, daughter of Geronitus, son of Bilris of the line of Durin. I have come at the request of Dain of the line of Durin to present myself before the King of Erebor and explain what happened to my line in the years between my Grandmother's flight from an objectionable marriage to the present day."

"How did you find him?" The dwarf demanded.

"I went looking simply for a commission he is an excellent potter, but while there I found him to be in the possession of two ravens and insisted that he accompany me back to Erebor."

"I insisted that my friends come with me, as I had no desire to go to Erebor alone and the rest of my family is content to remain in the Shire. I thought that I might visit through next winter and return in the spring."

"You will not return!" The young man said and Bilbo frowned.

"I must return, all my family is in the Shire."

"But you are my One!"

"We might be soul bound, but that doesn't mean we have to be together!" Bilbo returned angrily tossing his hair back. "You cannot dictate to me what I can or cannot do, I think that you will find that I'll respond to such as well as Balris did!" Bilbo said and spun on his heel angrily marching from the room.

"Bilbo wait!" The dwarf demanded, but Bilbo continued to walk back the way he had come. How dare they demand that he spend the rest of his life here? He wasn't some servant or prisoner! He kicked a stone angrily and groaned as he received a headache in return. Of course now would be the time that his spotty stone sense would make an appearance.

"Mahal blast you." Bilbo said rubbing at his head, even the stones of this place were working against him. He found that he was quite lost in the tunnels that surrounded Erebor and that he hadn't run into anyone since getting away from the entrance hall. His green sense was only slightly better than his stone sense, but nothing green grew down here. He was hungry and cold, he glared at the rock before continuing to walk on. He finally let his stone sense lead his way, rather than relying on his horrible sense of direction. He found his way to a place that had several miners in it and frowned. Why his stone sense would lead him to mining tunnels was beyond him, but he continued to follow it, even going so far as to go down into the pits. He had no idea why his stone sense was leading him in such a direction, nor did he care overmuch about the particulars, he just knew he needed to follow it now or it might not be there when he needed it. Taking up a pick he hammered into the rock, four blows were enough to unearth the stone, another three pried it from the earth. He stared at the shining hunk of rock in shock, it was the same color and quality as the Arkenstone, only this one shone with a blue light rather than a white light. He put the rock inside his cloak finding that the stone sense had abandoned him, just as quickly as it had come. He tugged on the rope securing him and was let up covered in rock dust from head to foot. He stared at another miner in shocked surprise. This dwarf looked a lot like his Father and Grandfather. "Do you know of someone in your family line named Balbo?" Bilbo asked and the dwarf looked shocked.

"He found the Arkenstone and became a merchant, he'd send money back to us sometimes." The dwarf replied and Bilbo grinned.

"I am Bilbo Baggins, my grandfather moved to the Shire and married a hobbit lass there." Bilbo said and laughed. "Well met cousin."

"Cousin? Who's to say you are who you say you are?" The dwarf demanded and Bilbo took the stone from his pocket and shrugged.

"It seems that the mountain likes our family." Bilbo said and the dwarf's eyes widened and Bilbo smiled. "I'd love to meet you and my other kin, I don't plan to stay longer than a year, but you are welcome to come to the Shire for a visit anytime you like."

"Thank you." The miner said with no little awe.

"Now if you could perhaps direct me to the market, or the dining hall?" Bilbo asked and was taken to the dining hall, where everyone stared at him. Bilbo grinned and settled himself at the lower tables, pointedly avoiding the spot they had saved for him. He'd much rather dine with his friends and crasser family members than the nobles. Dain was a decent enough dwarf once you got enough drink into him, but the stick that was always up Dwalin and Dain's asses needed to be removed. Bilbo wiped the coal dust from his face and hands with a napkin and grinned at Bofur.

"What have you been up to? Letting your abysmal stone sense directs you again?"

"Of course it takes me interesting places, when it works at all." Bilbo said and took out the stone with a cheeky grin. "Apparently I get more than my eyes from my Great Grandfather." Bilbo said and the hall fell silent. "Don't think this rock means I'm staying more than the year I agreed to." Bilbo said and crossed his arms and lifted his chin. An elderly dwarf laughed from the high table.

"You are truly sister kin to me Bilbo Baggins." Fundin said. "I am glad to know she lived, was she happy?"

"From all accounts she was, I never got to meet her, and by the time I was born she was long dead." Bilbo replied and shrugged. "We can't all have dwarven lifespan."

"What are your lifespan then my boy?"

"No one knows how many years they will have, but I suspect that it will be longer than most of my people. Most hobbits live eighty years or so, my maternal Grandfather lived to be one hundred and thirty, my paternal Grandfather died at eighty three, how much dwarven blood one has does not guarantee them years." Bilbo said and took a sip of his ale. "I'm forty, I should live to be anywhere between one hundred and thirty and two hundred, if I don't get some illness or have some sort of lethal accident." Bilbo took another gulp of the ale. "Not that it's any of your business."

"The mountain welcomed you, it declared you fit to rule."

"Not interested more over I don't have more than a child's understanding of dwarven culture. I'll tell you what I told my Grandfather, I'd make a very poor king indeed and I have no interest in politics. I'm happy enough with a ball of clay in between my hands and a pipe of good pipe weed." Bilbo stated and laughed. "I have no interest in being a noble, so you can put such out of your minds. My cousin invited me to meet my family and spend some time among my dwarven kin, right now I much prefer my Father's side to my mothers. Give me an honest man any day, over someone who's trying to manipulate you into doing what they want. The bonds of kin are strong, but they can be stretched thin, as my patients is being with such topics." Bilbo said and took another gulp of ale.

"You should eat some food as well." The miner said and Bilbo nodded.

"I suppose you are right, but they vex me." Bilbo stated and the miner laughed.

"I'm sure we'll vex you as well, given half the chance. I'm glad my Uncle paid for me to learn Westron, most of the family only talks in Khudzul, I'll introduce them to you once your in a better mood."

"I'd like that." Bilbo said and grinned and gulped down more ale. "This is pretty good, not as strong as what we make in the Shire, but good enough for dwarven ale."

"What do you mean by that? I'm Boudo by the by."

"Simply that you don't make your ale as strong, don't have as quick as a metabolism as hobbits I suppose, but few do. My mother drank several elves under the table, drinking elvan wine and I repeated her feat some fifty years later." Bilbo said with a grin. "Though I'm considered a light weight by my people."

"Oh really, have you ever tasted fire water cousin?" Boudo asked and Bilbo grinned.

"I wasn't old enough to drink when I got my master's coin, I'm of age now." Bilbo stated flatly. "By seven years." He added and Boudo laughed.

"It's strange to think of a youngling of forty being of age, but you must be to have been aware of the bond between you and Prince Thorin." Boudo said and Bilbo groaned.

"Can I try the fire water cousin, I don't wish to be reminded of that, or this day. Except for meeting you, I liked meeting you."

"Of course." His cousin said and grinned, handing him a bottle of something out of his cloak, Bilbo uncorked it and took a long swallow, before he grinned.

"This is great, as good as Farmer Gamgee's moonshine." Bilbo said and took another long swallow before passing the bottle back.

"Keep it." Boudo said and Bilbo nodded.

"My thanks." He said and gulped the moonshine as the food was served. He ate and drank liberally filling his belly with both food and spirits. He was laughing by the middle of the meal, his arms wrapped around Boudo and Bombur. "You are Buhel Bombur." Bilbo said and grinned. "You are Father kin, I am happy to be with my Buhel and Father kin."

"Aye lad, I am happy to meet you as well, though you might want to slow down on the drink or you might do something you regret."

"I don't think so, I liked the Blue Mountains better." Bilbo said and frowned. "I never did anything there that I might regret." Bilbo said and took up the jewel put it in his cloak, before he continued to eat.

"Well things are expected of you, now people know who you are."

"I'm my Father's son, just as much as my Mothers. I just wanna craft and be done with it. Let someone else yell themselves silly." Bilbo said and one of the young nobles laughed.

"What's hobbit politics like then?" The young dwarf demanded from the high table.

"Kili!" A dwarrowdam likely his mother said and Bilbo laughed.

"Lot the same, never went to dwarven court never was inta inta, liked my clay better, I like my clay. Lot of yelling, lot of arguing, lot of drinking an no one listening to anyone else unless they got grey hairs on their feet. Got drunk with cousins mostly." Bilbo said and smiled at the young dwarf. "So what's dwarven poly..poly courtly thingies like?"

"Boring but I have to go, even though Fi is next in line after Thorin, we will have to be kings next."

"Not if I stay and have little ones, but I don't know if I wanna stay." Bilbo pouted. "Want little ones."

"You can have babies Bilbo?" Bombur demanded and Bilbo nodded.

"Mama gives us lots of babies, she's a good Mama of Earth."

"Yavannah lad?" Bombur asked. "I remember you went to her temple every free day you had, as well as Mahal's."

"Yeah Mama made me and Papa made me." Bilbo frowned, he'd drunk too much and said too much. "I wanna dance."

"After we finish eating." Thrain said and Bilbo frowned but nodded.

"So you can have children?"

"Mama likes us, we take care of her and she helps us." Bilbo said and smiled. "Plant lots of pretty flowers, give her blessings and she gives us babies. I like my little cousins."

"We have about a hundred or so hobbits that are kin in the Shire." Dain said and grinned. "So that's how you do it?"

"Yes and ritual, you gotta mean it with all your heart." Bilbo said and smiled. "I was taught it when I got my mastery."

"In clay?" Dain asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Next is cooking, if I have the time." Bilbo said and yawned, rubbing at his eyes and looking a lot like a fauntling.

"What was in that fire water?"

"Just regular fire water." Boubo said and frowned. "How much did you drink."

"Stronger than I thought and sleepy." Bilbo said and yawned again. "Can I go to bed."

"Of course, we hardly expect you to sleep at the table." Thrain said and Bilbo nodded, he stood rather wobbly on his feet and smiled as Bombur steadied him. He walked with Bombur and Thorin.

"No you stay, I can find room." Bilbo protested.

"You won't let me speak to you."

"You don't speak you order." Bilbo replied and Fili, Kili and a fair-haired dwarf all laughed.

"Oh you are not going to have it easy brother."

"Thank you for that comment Frerin." Thorin said and Bilbo looked confused. "I doubt you will have an easier time of it."

"At least mine is dwarven and will speak with me, I'll take you to your rooms before you fall over Bilbo. You shouldn't argue when either one of you is drunk, that's what mother always said." Frerin said and Bilbo looked around and frowned.

"Where's your Mama?"

"She died sixteen years ago, got sick suddenly during a bad winter." Frerin said. "Our Grandfather got sick too and died the same winter."

"You lived why?" Bilbo asked.

"She was not my One, I grew fond of her but she was not my One." Thrain said and Bilbo frowned.

"Better to know and be friends if possible, have little ones but no binding, binding is bad." Bilbo started crying.

"Its alright lad, come on. His parents were each other's ones and died the same winter the Princess and King were lost." Bombur said and Bilbo continued to cry, he was helped to a chamber and they left him to undress. Bilbo took off his hat and traveling cloak, but didn't bother with his shirt or pants, he covered himself with blankets and fell asleep instantly.


End file.
